It must be time to write another blog, isn’t it? I mean, its been a LONG time since last Friday. A zillion things have happened. How to even touch on a few of them?

1) I brought the three photos to the gallery on Saturday morning. The theme is Domestic Violence. The reception is next Friday night. Because I thought the photos looked absolutely naked without words–of course, you’re expecting this, aren’t you?–I wrote a poem to go with them. Tying everything together nicely. Now. Here is the big question. Karen said we need to bring something to eat to the gallery reception. What the heck can I bring that’s both healthy and appetizing? Hmmmm?

Vibrant red

2) Saturday night Catherine and I did the following: a) I convinced her to be my willing portraiture victim, b) We enjoyed a lovely dinner out at a restaurant and c) We attended the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin up at the Rosza Center in Houghton.

OK, you would like a review, would you? The orchestra was excellent. Even I–a non-classical music listener–truly enjoyed it. The strings trilled exquisitely. The violins, violas, cellos and bass danced with one another. The audience sighed.

I listened, so absorbed, so enthralled, staying so present, not even becoming slightly bored. Until I found myself falling asleep. The eyes literally refused to stay open. Not because the orchestra lacked any intensity, beauty, incredible pizzazz. No. It’s because I began to relax deeper and deeper into bliss.

And then…oh no!…how to keep the eyes open? To stay awake without nodding off?

Luckily, the thundering applause worked wonders. The chamber orchestra returned to play two encores. I was now fully awake and engaged once again. Phew….that was close. One shouldn’t be rendered unconscious by some of the most beautiful music one has ever heard.

Beautiful yellow

3) Today. Oh, what a fruitful autumn day we’ve experienced! We filled our wheelbarrow with logs from the far end of the woodpile and tossed wood into the wood room.

4) We picked ALL of our tomatoes from the garden and placed them under newspaper in the basement to slowly ripen.

5) The delightful Rug Delivery hath happened. Here’s the scoop. A half-dozen years ago–maybe a dozen years ago–Barry decided to take some used red carpeting. For our bedroom. I took one look at the carpeting and said, “No way on God’s green earth is this carpeting going in our bedroom.” He said, “Oh, Kathy, why not, it’s beautiful, it’s wonderful carpeting….” and I (foolishly or not) said “I don’t think so.”

Studebaker wheel shadows

The carpeting sat in the basement all these long years.

Until, finally, Barry realized I was not going to budge on this one. (Am I losing my reputation of being flexible??)

His buddy, John, said he would love the carpeting for the bedroom of his hunting shack.

Today we delivered the red carpeting to John’s house. We loaded it in the 1949 Studebaker truck and drove to town on a red-green-yellow autumn day in late September.

Look at that beautiful red carpet sticking out the back of the pickup truck. Hey, let's take a picture!

Gig, It is good to have tree books. They are very helpful for identification, indeed. It is helpful to have a driver for country rides, but not essential. In fact, 85.4% of my forays into nature involve…just me! lol!

I took some pictures of the aspen turning yesterday. They will get posted soon.

Back in my single days when I lived in Orange County not far from the Orange County Performing Arts Center, I bought season tickets for the ballet. I loved it, but I was working 12 to 14 hours days back then, and I often found myself relaxing with the music and dozing during the performances. It was a constant battle – stay awake or look really stupid and call attention to yourself because you might snore battle.

Oh good, Carol, will love to see them. Sometimes aspen are so beautiful as they turn. Oh yes…can you imagine snoring so loudly during the ballet that you disturb the dancers? ha ha…glad you enjoyed the color and Barry’s Stude. I will tell him.

I am in love with the Studebaker-on-the-road photo! They’re all wonderful but that one just strikes all the right chords … which segues nicely into classical music … I’m a fan and can well understand your relaxing into the moment and bliss and wanting to nod off. Put one harpsichord or pipe organ in the mix, though, and I’m ready to run for the door… no offense to those who appreciate those instruments, however.

I think it’s neat that the red carpeting found a new home and I hope it will bring cheer to the folks at the hunting shack.

Look forward to seeing your DV photos and reading the corresponding poems. Not an easy subject and not a lot of wiggle room … I’m sure that you came up with something brilliant and touching.

The days spin by and I feel like a spiraling red/yellow leaf, happily awaiting the next landing….

You, Ms. D., could have a ride in the Studebaker some day if you like. All you have to do is take a ride out here some day when Barry’s home and he’ll take you for a spin. OK, I could go too, but it might be a little cozy! I don’t know much about identifying harpsichord or pipe organ music. Shhh…don’t tell anyone. And goodness yes–what a challenge. Domestic violence of all things. But–hopefully–it all worked.

Love the Studebaker photo! The one with the trees… Great truck by the way. I think I learned how to drive with a manual transmission on one of those! And congratulations on moving the rug out. After all these years, it might have been easy to cave. I am with you baby on that one!

And not much leaf color here yet. Could be another month. Or two. Sigh. See why I need to head North?

Hi Erin, you do need to head north. ASAP. You really learned how drive with one of these Studes? How cool! (P.S. one of the main reasons I was opposed to the red rug…maybe should have mentioned this…is that our walls are kind of pink. No, no, no. wouldn’t have looked good. She said.)

OH I just LOVE that truck!!! It gets me entirely too excited and very awake. I have been sitting here trying to figure out how to thank you for sparking me to take out my camera after….a very long uhm rest period that’s it! I was pouting with it, as in order to get me started snapping again I thought of an idea and place ahead of time, which means yucko images for me. UNTIL!!!! K brought me one nice over-ripe very sweet and ooooooooo red raspberry. LUST!!

She said…in a come hither voice, which was weird coming from one’s own child, “…if you want more of those come around the corner and get some pictures…”

After the rainy, cold Friday night Homecoming, the weekend was entirely lovely……lots of puttering in the yard, in the woods, a bit of this and a bit of that, just got out of the (clean :) ) sauna – a day well done!

First of all, never ever get rid of the red Studebaker truck. Secondly, never eat a delicious meal before going to the symphony. Better to starve yourself so you can stay awake, thinking of how hungry you are. (Except it is very embarrassing when your stomach growls.)

Barb, I am laughing. Never, ever. We’ll never ever get red of that Stude. It took Barry 14 years to re-do it. But I am really amazed at your astute wisdom. It was the DINNER that made me sleepy. Of course it was. Phew. Thank you for pointing that out. Will remember this next time.

How many times have I gone to the ballet, and classical music concerts and did every thing I could to keep from nodding off! Oy vey! The funny thing is we used to get special tickets to the Academy of Music mid – afternoon performances which are attended by many seniors, on their afternoon outings, we use to call these concert “blue haired” specials… so many times the sweet well dress older woman would fall asleep at my side, only to be abruptly awakened by a loud cymbal or crashing drum.
So feeling relaxed, enjoying the sound of such sweet sounds as classical performance is all two common and maybe recommended!

Great photographs as usually, I was thinking, it would be really nice if you did a series of the Studebaker !
I am glad to see you have submitted your DV themed photographs and poem! The difficult part for me is letting the pieces go… Looking forward to seeing what you will be exhibiting!

Jeff, I am glad to hear that you have experienced the same thing. Maybe LOTS of people do. I was thinking what a meditator friend says~~if you fall asleep during meditation it’s actually a deep sleep, very good for you. Perhaps if you fall asleep during classical music, it’s the same thing.??

Blue haired specials…funny! (I’m sure Barry would approve of your idea of a Studebaker series. I have probably posted maybe ten photos of the Stude over the past almost-two years. Perhaps!)

Will post the DV photos later in the week–would love to show them to all of you with the frames. I could upload the photos by themselves, but the frames made them look all dressed up.

Our leaves started turning back in August but that due to drought. I don’t think this year will be an outstanding year for the fall foliage, but they can’t all be. Some years the trees must need a rest from all that coloring.

Your photos of the colorful trees are wonderful. Everything looks so brilliant. :)

And yes, since you asked, I have fallen asleep at inopportune times. The most memorable was at a movie theater. Before my husband was my husband, when we were dating, we only saw each other on weekends (and not always every weekend) because we lived 3 hours apart. So we would stay up pretty much the entire weekend, catching naps if needed. We went to see the movie “Midway,” a war movie done in “sensurround” which was popular in the 70’s (“Earthquake” is probably the most well-known of the sensurround movies). The idea of sensurround is to make the viewer feel as though they are right in the middle of the action by using a lot of bass which makes the theater feel like it’s shaking. Anyhow, I somehow drifted off into sleep right in the middle of the Battle of Midway while everyone else (presumably) was being bombarded with sensurround battle sounds (machine guns, bombs, plane noises, that sort of thing).

Robin, our colors don’t look like they’re going to be as stunning as usual, either. Such an odd summer for many parts of the country. We’ll have to wait another couple of weeks to tell for sure.

Loved your story about falling asleep during the Battle of Midway! How funny. Especially since it was in sensurround. Wonder if you could fall asleep during a real battle? Hmmm, good question. Wonder if that has ever happened to anyone.

Are you really a day late, Laurie? Oh good, I won’t feel bad next time I come late to your class. I like how you made the rug-giving adventure into something positive. John will really like it for his hunting camp. He is thrilled to have it. (Don’t you love giving things away?)

Glad to hear you stayed awake during your trip up into Wisconsin. Traveling is definitely a time when we want to stay wide eyed and awake!

Kathy, in our very first house we had an orange carpet…a shaggy orange carpet, quite bright. It came with the house and was under our feet for almost 10 years! I don’t remember feeling too strongly about it, one way or the other but know that it wouldn’t and/or couldn’t be a choice at this point in life :)

Oh, would like very much to see your photo exhibition and what pictures you choose to show….and what you wrote!

Your fall colors are glorious. Ours ( talking about leaves) tend to dry up and fall off without much of a display at all.
And yes, have drifted away with the music. And not just classical. There is something about certain kinds of music….. and then there is the delicate art of snoring in tune. A true gift, I’m thinking :)

Colleen, once carpeting is there, I think it’s usually a good idea to make peace with it. If you can’t make peace with it…then out it goes. You were probably working on second chakra issues all those years. lol! And it’s not that I don’t like red. I do. A few years ago we looked out in our driveway and ALL our vehicles were some shade of red. That was really strange.

You are having a fine color display! I hope it’s a harbinger of what’s to come down here.

I had to chuckle at the poor disdained red carpet. Right now I’d be happy to find a piece of carpeting in any color to warm up the dog room. Oh–sorry Barry. I didn’t mean–it’s a very pretty red carpet, really. Oh dear.

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